Man who killed wife on cruise ship holiday gets life in prison

A man who killed his wife on a cruise ship holiday was yesterday sentenced to life in prison.

Robert McGill apologised for his actions as he was sentenced in San Diego, but reportedly gave no explanation as to why he killed his wife on the five-day Carnival Cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 2009.

The 57-year-old former teacher pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and admitted that he had intentionally killed his wife of five years after beating her to death in the cabin on board the Carnival Elation, which was carrying 2,056 passengers.

According to USA Today, court papers described how he had become 'extremely intoxicated', but US Chief District Judge Irma Gonzalez said this could not explain McGill's ability to clean himself up and head to the ship's upper deck to smoke a cigar after the beating.